Method for producing chemical reactions by the influence of radiant energy



Fwh. 9, 1932.

METHOD FOR PRODUCING CHEMICAL REACTIUNS BY THE INFLUENCE OF RADIANT ENERGY Filed Sept. 11. 1926 1.. J. BUTTOLPH 1,844,420

INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1932 till "UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILIERUY Ql'. BUTTOLPH, 0F GRANTWOOE, NEW JEil-SEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC VAPOR LAMP UO'MEANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A COBIGRA'IION OF NEW annsn'r ianrnon iron rnonucruu onnnroet REACTIQNS BY THE INFLUENCE or RADIANT uneas I Application filed September 11, 1926.

i usually practiced a mixture oi gases or '1' materials is subjected tothe action of radiation originating from some source outthe reaction chamber and reaching l -said chamber which. must be of a i such as quartz which will transmit 'ltion. lin case none of the compono gas inizrture Will absorb the necesadiation some additional material such mercury vapor is introduced which will orb the radiation and in turn transmit or otherwise activate the gases to proa chemical reaction.

1y materials such as mercury yapor ""16 chlorine gas may be activated either by asorption o'l radiant energy orby the is material which is activated by the high duency held to produce radiations which uence or cause a chemical reaction serves nne cases merely for this purpose. in cases is selected to be one of the mete iais entering the reaction. The use ofsuch "aerial placed directly in a reaction chamand activated'by high frequency field 'ubject this invention.

n in the process hereinafter deiiocd and more particularly set forth in the i no The invention also consists in apus tor carrying out the methods or process ot the invention and having the general ch racteristics oi the apparatus. shown and cl scribed herein as an example, and in the new and useitul applications, and the sever al original features of utility hereinafter set claimed i ody itself oi the material to be so influenced.

mixture by passage through the ion of a high frequency magnetic field.-

Serial N0."134,814.

in the accompanying drawing there is shown for purposes of illustration one form of apparatus embodying the invention in which there is diagrammatically shown a reaction chamber mounting for passing the gases thereto and therefrom and means for producing radiations Within the reaction chamber and Within the body of the gasbeing treated. i

The reaction chamber livhich is of ma-v terial such as glass connects by the flange 3 and the inlet pipe 1- to a-source of gas not shown. in pipe 4: is the pressure controller and indicator 6. Another gas teed pipe "'8 having the pressure control. and indicating means 9 therein serves to feed gas from a suitable source not shown through the chamber 10 containing the liquid ll which is a source of a radiationl sustaining vapor and below the surface of which said pipe dterniinates. l rom said chamber 10 nearthe top extends the pipe 12 to said chamber 1 through the flange 3. Connecting from chamber-l through the flange ll is the enhaust pipelo having a pressure control and indicating member 17 thereon. About GllMIlher 1 is mounted the high frequency induc tion coil 2t; which connects to a high frequency oscillatory'circuit including the condenser 22 and thespark gap 24k. 'lhis coil and circuit are adapted to induce a high frequency field in the chamlser l in a manner welllmown in the high frequency induction heater art.

its an illustration of the asset the apps-- rates and of the method of the invention the following description is made ot' the process of producing hydrogen peroxide from. hydrogen and oxygen gases. Thehigh frequency:

lnv passing through the liquid mercury this gas carries' vvlth it into reaction chamber 1 a trace otmercury vapor. Said pipedcarriesgtroma source not shown the other gas, joxyge'n'or those having wave lengths in the nei hborhood of 2536-7 Angstrom units are e ective in bringing about a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce water vapor and hydrogen peroxide the proportions depending'upon the gas pressure, temperature, etc.

By producing the radiations within the mix: ture of the oxygen and hydrogen gases an eflicient and rapid reaction rocess is maintained. This process is ma e continuous by combine.

passing the hydrogen and oxygen in the manner described, continu usly through the reaction chamber and out through the exhaust pipe '15. 'The hydrogen peroxide, water, and mercury are separated after or as they pass from the reaction chamber. The regu gases and the product inaccordance with proper reaction proportions of the gases and accordance with the rate oiprogress of re-- action. I

The application of the invention to the production of water and hydrogen peroxide. is given herein as an example and it is to be plied to the reactionof other substances and for theproductionofvarioils products. For

example, hydrogeniodide can be made by f producing a high frequency electrical field about or in a mixture of iodine and hydrogen. y

The iodine gas or vapor will be energize the high frequency field toproduce radiations the iodin e and hydrogen to which will cause -Claims:

- 1. In the process of producing chemical ac-, I

j tion through the influence of radiations, the

be reacted, there beingepresent in said space 'amaterial capable of f dischargeto produce radiations influential to the desired reaction.

v 2. In the rocess of producing chemical ac tion throng the influence offradiations, the

step of producing a high frequency inductive d scharge the space occupied by the the materials ente into the; reaction.

3. In the o producing? chemical action throug the infiuenceof radiations, the

step of producing a high frequency ind tive field withm'a terials to be reacte there be lators 6 and 9 and 17 are .used to control the flow of gizedb the hi h frequenc discharge to roduce ra diation influentialito the d reaction which said material maybe one of the materials entering into the reaction and into the finished. product. 4. In the process of producing chemical action through the influence ofradiations, the

step of producing a high frequency inductive discharge within a space occupied by the materials to be reacted, there being present in said space another material capable of being energized by the high frequency dischar e to produce radiations influentiaLto the es'ired reaction.

Signed at Hoboken, in the county of End-- son and State of New Jersey, this 24th day of August A. D. 1926. x

' LEROY J. BUTTOLPH.

understoodthat the invention may heap step of producing an electrical discharge 1 within the space occupied by the materials to mg energized by the space occupied by the ma-.: "x a present in 8821a space a-material capable o ener it no; 

